Diel oviposition patterns of Anopheles Albitarsis in Trinidad, West Indies

ABSTRACT

The diel pattern of oviposition of wild-caught Anopheles albitarsis derived from rice fields in Frederick Settlement, Trinidad, was studied in the laboratory by recording the performance of egg-laying individuals and a colony at 2-h intervals. Oviposition was almost exclusively nocturnal, with 79.3 percent of the eggs being laid during the scotophase. During the rest of the day and during evening twilight, 7.8 and 12.9 percent eggs were laid, respectively. Wild-caught parous females allowed to engorge on human blood matured, on average, 7.1 +/- 12.4 follicles (range 53-106). These findings provide vector control personnel with the opportunity to maximize the impact of insecticides on An. albitarsis populations by restricting their operations to the time of peak activity (AU)